The Serpent
| season = 1 | number = 2 | image = the_serpent_screencap.png | airdate = April 19, 2013 | writer = | director = David S. Goyer | previous = The Hanged Man | next = The Prisoner }} is the second episode in season 1 of Da Vinci's Demons. Synopsis Leonardo begins building a war-machine for the Medicis, but his first attempt fails. However, Lorenzo gives him one week to improve the design. Meanwhile, Leonardo also continues his search for the Book of Leaves. The Pope sends his nephew to investigate Leonardo and find more about the extent of his abilities. Summary Nico, Vanessa and Zoroaster are exhuming the Jew's body, whilst Leonardo has a vision in which he speaks to the Jew. After they bring the body back to the workshop, Leonardo begins his autopsy. He finds out the Jew is missing a fingernail nail on the right hand, after dissecting the body, he finds out the Jew has swallowed an odd key. Leonardo is confronted by his father, who warns him about his obligations about the extent of the contract he has signed with Lorenzo de' Medici. Leonardo begins sketching Lucrezia Donati, who he also question about the Jew's execution. She reveals the Jew was running from bandits, and that he was hanged for theft, even though nothing is missing from the library. Leonardo attempts to demonstrate his organ pipe musket, but the musket explodes and the demonstration fails. Lorenzo gives Leonardo a new deadline to complete the demonstration. Riario captures Nico and tortures him to extort information from him. Nico eventually reveals parts of the truth, and leads them to Da Vinci's workshop. There, he plots a nefarious trap against his captors. He sets them onto the task of opening Leonardo's explosive-rigged chest, which explodes when someone attempts to reveal its contents by force. The chest explodes, which alerts the local artists and Nico's captors are forced to flee, leaving him behind. Riario and Lucrezia meet under the cover of the night, where he gives her instruction through which they can relay covert means of communication, to avoid detection. It is revealed that Lucrezia might be blackmailed into doing Riario's bidding. Back at Leonardo's bomb-wrecked worskhop, Lorenzo threatens Leonardo to finish his weapon; failure would result in Leonardo's execution. At the tavern, Leonardo tries to solve the puzzle behind the key, which leads him to the realisation that the key in his possession is only a half of the key. Leonardo and his friends go to the crime-scene and question a blind man, who witnessed the events of the night when the Jew was captured. The blind man shares insight which makes Leonardo realise, the Jew was attempting to hide something—a book—inside the library. Once they retrieved the book, they are ambushed by the Pope's Swiss Guard (which act as mercenaries). Leonardo and his friends manage to escape. Leonardo seeks refuge in Andrea del Verrocchio's private quarters. Where they discuss the Book of Leaves, its involvement with the disappearance of Leonardo's mother and the concept of progress. In the meanwhile, Riario pays a diplomatic visit to Lorenzo, where they discuss Leonardo and various political matters. They part ways under heated conditions. Lorenzo holds a banquet, with a controversial performance of the Snake (Satan) entering Eden and deceiving Adam and Eve, during the performance Lorenzo humorously implies to the audience the performance is a metaphor for Riario's presence in Florence. Riario confronts Leonardo and tries to persuade him to abandon Florence in favour of Rome. Leonardo agrees to meet Riario the following day at sunrise. The Medici's and the Florentine militia suspect Leonardo of being a traitor, thus they surreptitiously follow him to his meeting with Riario. They have discussion regarding Riario's motives. Leonardo hypothesizes Riario seeks to suppress knowledge; Riario refutes it, claiming he wants to administer knowledge. Leonardo defiantly and demonstratively declines Riario's offer for a partnership, and pledges allegiance to Lorenzo the magnificent, his foolish brother, and the whole of Florence! Also noting he prefers Florence wild with, for all it quirks and criminals. Shortly after his speech, Leonardo demonstrates his improved musket design. It is revealed Riario is in the possession of the second half of the key. Leonardo discovers a map hidden within the pages of the book, through steganography. The map turns out to be the southern half of the American continent. Notes Memorable Quotes *"... the whole point of progress is overreaching" — Leonardo da Vinci to Andrea del Verrocchio Cast *Tom Riley as a young Leonardo da Vinci *Laura Haddock as Lucrezia Donati *Elliot Cowan as Lorenzo Medici *Lara Pulver as Clarice Orsini *Tom Bateman as Giuliano Medici *Hera Hilmar as Vanessa *Ross O'Hennessy as Commander Quattrone *Allan Corduner as Verrocchio *Andrew Brooke as Grunwald *Eros Vlahos as Nico Machiavelli *Gregg Chillin as Zoroaster *Paul Westwood as Niccolo Ardinghelli *James Faulkner as Pope Sixtus IV *Gareth Milton as a servant in the House of Medici *Blake Ritson as Girolamo Riario *Geoffrey Newland as Officer Capaldi *Sharon Morgan as Sister Albina *Jan Erik Madsen as Zircher *Elliot Levey as Francesco Pazzi References Category:Episodes Category:Season 1 Episodes